Symphony No.1 in C minor – Richard Wetz

Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Roland Bader.

I – Ruhig bewegt – Anfangs etwas gehalten: 0:00
II – Scherzo. Leicht bewegt, aber nicht zu schnell: 19:45
III – Sehr langsam und ausdrucksvoll: 30:58
IV – Finale. Kraftig und entschieden bewegt: 44:36

Wetz’s Symphony No.1 was composed between 1915-6, at the late age of 40 years old. It was premiered in Weimar in 1917, conducted by Peter Raabe. The work (and Wetz’s three symphonies for that matter) was highly influenced by Bruckner, a composer he deeply admired and from which used procedures such as grand pauses and sectional structures. Not only Bruckner, but there is also the influences of Brahms and Wagner.

As we can see, Wetz remained in the confines of the German postromanticism, which for the most part was already over with the horrors of the Great war and the end of the German empire. The symphony as a whole can be viewed as Wetz’s struggle to obtain a musical identity of his own, a struggle that he was never able to completely overcome since he started too late composing in large forms to find a voice of his own. Despite the work being a flawed one, one finds a merit in the composer’s struggles of trying to move forward and have an style.

The first movement is structured in sonata form. It begins with a romantic and expansive main theme, which unfolds more expressive and yearning. After a pause, a lyrical and exhuberant second theme is presented, growing into a voluptuous climax. The development section is academic and dramatic in nature, reaching a great climax with the second theme. After a calm transition, the recapitulation brings back the main themes, culminating in a new urgent climax with the second theme. An intense and passionate coda brings the movement to a forceful end, tricking us a bit about the real final chord.

The second movement is a scherzo in ternary form. It opens with a rhythmic main theme introduced in piano, before being fully exposed in a grand tutti. After a pause, lyrical phrases of the woodwinds bring contrast. The music here is closely influenced by Mendelssohn and Dvorák, using the Brucknerian procedures mentioned before. The scherzo alternates between slow and fast sections. The trio begins with a lyrical and contemplative second theme presented by strings. It is taken by the oboe and English horn, followed by a long and calm passage. The scherzo is then resumed, culminating in an intense coda that ends the movement.

The third movement is structured in form of an arch. It begins with a warm and lyrical theme presented by the clarinet, almost like a song without words. It unfolds full of voluptuosity and romanticism. Not only Bruckner, but Wagnerian echoes appear through the movement. In the middle part, the music begins to grow more and more expressive, reaching a grand and passionate climax. The main theme is then calmly recapitulated. A peaceful coda ends the movement.

The fourth movement is structured in a modified sonata form. It opens with a restless and dissonant main theme, with some melodic phrases bringing contrast. After a pause, a lyrical second theme is presented. The development section that follows is complex, featuring a series of references of previous movements. Wetz seems to have attempted to make the work a cyclical symphony at the last moment. As in the scherzo, fast and slow sequences alternate each other. The recapitulation brings the main themes in their original form. Suddenly, the lyrical main theme of the third movement fully reappears where before was just references. It leads us to a grand and passionate climax, which brings the whole work to an end.

Picture: “Sunset” or “Brothers” (1830-5) by the German painter Caspar David Friedrich.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Source: https://bit.ly/3AHcwvz

Unfortunately the score is not available.

source